Subtle Influence
by maycollins
Summary: Gigi's feeling lost so she turns to life coach and matchmaker Emma Woodhouse for some help figuring out her next step. Of course Emma has more than one plan up her sleeve, maybe including an energetic redhead...


"I really don't need to keep doing these consultations Alex," Emma insists as she's handed a stack of new customers who will be calling today. "I already have my sights on a new high profile client."

"Just do it please. We need to keep this company alive somehow while you work on your next scheme." He's careful to avoid the topic on both their minds. The senator has disappeared, but ever since, they can't seem to land any full time clients. Both are painfully aware of this fact.

"Fine," Emma agrees with a pout.

Her computer starts to go off with perfect timing.

"That would be your first client," Alex says, making a quiet exit.

Emma looks down at the file at the top of the pile. "Wait, Gigi Darcy is calling for my advice?" She asks before Alex is fully out the door.

"Yeah, I guess." He shuts the door behind him.

Emma clicks her screen to accept the video call.

"Emma Woodhouse," she says with a wide smile. "Here to make your life better."

"Oh, um, hi Emma," Gigi says with a shy smile.

"Red lipstick, so Emma approved." Emma smiles and gives her signature wink.

"Oh, ok, thanks, I guess." She tucks a strand of dark hair behind her ear.

"Before we start, do you mind if I record our conversation. It's for -"

Gigi interrupts. "Your lifetime achievement award, I've been keeping up with your blog. I'm kind of used to being in front of a camera, so you can record us if you want to."

"Right the Domino tests, how are those going?"

"Great," Gigi smiles. "It's nearly ready to be released. I can send you an advanced copy if you like."

"Great, I'd love that. Now let's get down to the reason you called,"

"Right, well, you saw my welcome to Sanditon videos?" Gigi's voice flickers between questioning and confident.

"Of course. I love how you got those siblings to work it out. Very Emma Approved."

"Yeah, so you know how I decided not to go to grad school?" Gigi starts chewing at her bottom lip.

"Standing up for what you want, definitely Emma approved." She glances down at Gigi's lips. "Nervous habits, so not Emma approved."

Gigi stops, suddenly self conscious.

"Right, so, I just needed some advice. What now?" Her eyebrows raise in anticipation.

"I think you know exactly what you want. You just need to go after it."

"How?" Gigi asks, denying nothing.

"Get rid of the thing that's holding you back. Let go of George Wickham."

"I'm over George," Gigi insists.

"Then why haven't you dated anyone since?" Emma raises one eyebrow to make it clear that she knows she's right. Gigi, failing to find a rebuttal, goes silent. "So great talking," Emma says, hanging up.

~oOo~

Lydia is in the middle of marathoning America's Next Top Model when the doorbell announces a guest. Lizzie and Jane are both off with their boyfriends, and her parents are out, so there's no one around to save her from getting up to answer it.

"Ugh, who is it," she complains, flinging the door open. It isn't until she's completely taken in the girl before her that she starts to realize how underdressed she is. In an oversized t-shirt advertising Lizzie's videos and black sweatpants, she's perfectly dressed for a day on the couch.

On the other hand, the girl in front of her has on a sheer sea green tank top tucked into a black skater skirt. Her dark hair is natural and straight today, messily pushed behind her ears. But her greenish-blueish hazel eyes don't sparkle like they did in her videos. She's not pushing, pushing towards any goal or trying to get anyone together or trying to save anyone's sex tape from getting out.

Looking at Gigi perfectly composed at her door, the only word that comes to mind is "lost".

"Hi, it's Gigi Darcy, William's sister," she says, timidly.

"Yeah, I know. Come in," Lydia says, opening to door wider behind her. "So, like, I'm sorry for the missing adorbes. I didn't know you were coming."

"Sorry, I should have called or something. It was kind of a spur of the moment thing, coming here." Gigi blushed, pushing her hair behind her ears again. Lydia has known her all of 30 seconds, and she can already tell it's nervous habit.

"No, it's cool." Lydia flops back on the couch, but Gigi remains standing awkwardly by the door as if unsure about what happens next.

"Sit," Lydia demands, rolling her eyes. "And, umm, thank you. For finding Wickham, I mean. I saw the Domino videos." She throws the last part out like a second thought; no need to make a big deal of it or anything.

"It was really no problem, I mean, I know what it's like. To love him. That's actually why I'm here. I need to move on with my life. And that means I need him our of it-"

"Are you suggesting we kill Wickham?" Lydia asks, perking up, America's Next Top Model nearly forgotten. "Because I'm game for that."

Gigi shakes her head, a small smile breaking through her uncomfortable expression. "Not kill him. Find him. And talk to him."

"That seems like less fun."

"And make sure he doesn't hurt anyone else again."

"Sounding better," Lydia says, already agreeing to help with whatever Gigi has planned. She tells herself that it's because she wants to be free from George too, but she finds herself questioning how much of her consent is related to that shiny brown hair and those greenish-blueish hazel eyes.

~oOo~

"Hi Emma," Gigi says, holding her phone out so that she and Lydia are both shown on the screen. "Just calling to give you an update."

"Gigi, it's so great to hear from you again!" Emma exclaims. "And you're with Lydia!"

"We're tracking down Wickham!" Lydia says with a mock-angry face.

"You're following my advice and letting him go, great." Emma smiles, but it seems a little forced. Gigi makes the decision not to ask. She can't be getting too tied up in other people's problems right now; she has a mission.

"We're letting go of him once and for all!" Lydia shouts, a little too forcefully.

"You're not planning on killing him right?" Emma clarifies. "That's very not Emma approved."

"No!" Gigi lets out a frustrated sigh. "I don't understand why people keep jumping to that."

"Okay, great," Emma says. "Well I have to go. Au Revoir," she says ending the call.

Gigi slides the phone into her pocket.

"You ready?" She asks Lydia, looking through the dirty bar window to where George Wickham sits, chatting up his next victim.

"I couldn't be more ready." Lydia pulls out her phone and presses record.

"This is the Lid-ee-ah," she says, overly enunciating. "I know I haven't updated you in a while, but if you watched my nerdy older sister's videos, you'd know that George Wickham is a complete asshole. I'm here with Gigi Darcy to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone else again."

Gigi pops her head into the shot.

"Hi," she says, smiling weakly.

Holding the phone so that it's now showing George at the bar, Lydia starts forward with Gigi trailing just behind. The door slams loudly behind them, courtesy of Lydia's need for a dramatic entrance.

"Lydia, Gigi," George flashes one of his most charming smiles. "It's been like forever. How are you?"

Lydia stares at him, a fire burning in her eyes, and Gigi, with a far more pathetic glare, can't help but find herself a little turned on by Lydia's passion This is a girl who will stand up for what she cares about, and fight until she wins. It's admirable, and honestly, incredibly hot.

"Wickham," Lydia hisses. "We've been looking for you."

"Well you found me peach, now why're ya pointing the camera at me," his voice is made of honey, but Gigi refuses to give into it this time. She's talked to him before, but this time is so much worse. This time he's just feet in front of her, an arms length. And she wants desperately to forgive him, give in to his charm, just to believe that she's loved for the smallest amount of time. But no. This is George Wickham. He can't be trusted.

"We're here for your side of the story," Gigi snaps, struggling to find her own strength.

"What story, babe?" He asks.

"What you did to Lydia," Gigi's voice is so much stronger when she's not talking about herself.

"I don't know what you're talking about," his charming smile nearly convinces her, but she forces herself to look away.

"I know you do, George. You almost put up a sex tape of you and Lydia just to get back at Lizzie. And you would have gone through with it if my brother hadn't stopped you." Gigi's facade of confidence holds well, but she finds herself nervously pulling at her hair. She forces her hand into stillness.

"I told you before, I was a victim too." His tone is genuine, but his eyes give him away. A victim would have been somehow affected by this, but George is so nonchalant. He doesn't care.

Lydia, who's kept silent throughout this encounter, suddenly finds her voice. "Then what about what you did to Gigi? You can't deny that."

"Her brother took away what was rightfully mine; he deserved it."

Gigi forces herself to ask the question that's been knawing at her mind since he did it, and as she speaks, her eyes fill with tears.

"What about me?" She asks, her voice cracking. "Did I deserve it?"

Lydia shuts off the camera.

"It's time to go," she declares, pulling Gigi out the door by the elbow. "He's obviously not going to tell us anything."

Before they're fully out the door, however, Lydia turns back and places a carefully aimed kick right between George's legs. "Lid-ee-ya out!" She cries, running through the door, Gigi following in a fit of laughter.

"What was that?" She asks between laughs.

"Just thought we could use some comic relief," Lydia says with a smile.

"Thanks."

"You too."

~oOo~

"Lydia uploaded the video if you want to see it," Gigi smiles as she talks to Emma.

"Great, and I presume it worked?" Emma adjusts her computer.

"It worked totes perf!" Lydia chimes in. "Wickham would be cray to mess with us again! And the adorbes is back!"

Emma tries her best not to wince. Perf, totes, and cray, not Emma approved. "Right, so glad I could help. Good luck, you two." She smiles.

"Good luck with what?" Gigi asks, straightening her shirt.

"You two." The sparkle in her eyes shows a plan gone perfectly right.

"I don't understand," Gigi replies.

"Not yet." Emma's whole body is lifted and filled, her eyes twinkling again as she gives a smile that can only say "I win."

She's fixed someone's problems and made two people begin to fall in love, and her plan to make the world a better place is back on track. It's time to be Emma Woodhouse again.


End file.
